William Stafford established a plantation with a cane mill and a horse-powered cotton gin in 1830. On April 15, 1836, during the Texas Revolution, the forces of Antonio López de Santa Anna stopped at Stafford's plantation and ordered it burned. Stafford rebuilt his plantation and resided there until his 1840 death. A settlement called "Stafford's Point" was established around the plantation; it became a townsite in August 1853, when the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railway began stopping there. Stafford's Point had a post office from 1854 to 1869. "Staffordville" had a post office from January 5 to February 26, 1869. The settlement, now known as Stafford, operated a post office from 1869 to 1918; the post office reopened in 1929.[5]
In 1884, Stafford had 50 residents, two general stores, and a grocer. By 1896, it had a population of 300. By 1914, the population fell to 100. In 1931, 320 people lived in Stafford. This increased to 400 in 1946. Stafford incorporated as a city in 1956.[5]
The Southwest Freeway (Interstate 69) passes through northwest Stafford, leading northeast 16 miles (26 km) to the center of Houston and southwest 18 miles (29 km) to Rosenberg. U.S. 90 Alternate passes through Stafford as Main Street, leading west 5 miles (8 km) to Sugar Land and northeast 18 miles (29 km) to the Houston East End.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Stafford has an area of 7.0 square miles (18.2 km2), of which 7.0 square miles (18.1 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2), or 0.58%, is water.[4]
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 17,666 people, 6,042 households, and 4,335 families residing in the city.
As of the census[2] of 2010, 17,693 people, 6,750 households, and 4,483 families resided in the city. The population density was 2,527.6 inhabitants per square mile (975.9/km2). The 7,074 housing units averaged 1,010.6 units per square mile (390.2 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 36.6% White, 27.4% African American, 0.6% Native American, 22.8% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 9.3% some other race, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 25.9% of the population.
Of the 6,750 households, 33.2% had children under 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were not families. About 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals living alone, and 4.8% of individuals living alone were 65 or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.25.
In the city, the population was distributed as 24.8% under 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 7% 65 or older. The median age was 31.9. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.[13]
The median income for a household was $61,084, and for a family was $63,244. Males had a median income of $46,023 versus $40,549 for females. The per capita income was $27,082. About 6.3% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under 18 and 9.3% of those 65 or older.[citation needed]
Economy
Stafford has not had a municipal property tax since 1995. Though it is known as a bedroom community of the greater Houston area, an estimated four times as many people work in Stafford on a weekday, which is evidence of the large amount of commercial activity that helps the city financially. Many corporations large and small, including FedEx, UPS[14] and Tyco,[citation needed] maintain significant operations in Stafford.
Texas Instruments facility in Stafford: Texas Instruments was Stafford's largest employer.
Originally, Stafford was an agricultural community. As of 2009, it has operations from commercial, manufacturing, retail, service, and wholesale industries that pay sales and franchise taxes to the city. Stafford is known internationally for attracting valve manufacturing companies; it has 11. Stafford has 15 business parks, a shopping center, and 19 hotels and motels.[15]
Texas Instruments (TI) operates a production facility in Stafford, where it manufactures 6-inch (150 mm) wafers used in cell phones, high-definition televisions, and solar devices. The plant first opened in 1967.[16] In 2009, TI, which had around 1,500 employees in its Stafford office that year, was the city's largest employer.[15] In 2012, the company announced it was closing its Stafford plant because industry demand for larger, more efficient wafers increased and the company, in lieu of upgrading the Stafford plant to accommodate production of larger wafers, opted to shift production to newer plants.[16] Of the 1,000 employees at the plant during that year, TI laid off 500 and sent 500 to another facility. Mayor Leonard Scarcella said the closure would adversely affect Stafford.[17]
About 15 years ago,[when?] TI comprised about 25% of the city's economy and by 2012, it stood at about one-tenth of that, or 2.5%.[18] Some jobs at the plant were scheduled to end in July 2012. Other jobs were scheduled to remain until the factory's closure in late 2012. TI said it planned to open another facility in greater Houston for the 500 remaining employees.[16] In 2012, TI announced that it was relocating its Fort Bend County operations to the Telfair area in Sugar Land.[19]
Parks and recreation
Stafford Civic Center
About 35.6 acres (144,000 m2) of greenspace in Stafford are designated as municipal parks. Stafford City Park, the largest, covers 16 acres (65,000 m2) of land. The park includes baseball and softball fields, basketball courts, a pavilion, playground equipment, picnic benches, and soccer (football)/open fields. Gordon Fountain Lake Park, covering 9 acres (36,000 m2), is Stafford's second-largest park. It has a 1/2-mile, lighted, jogging trail, a lake, a pavilion, picnic benches, and playground equipment. The 4.5-acre (18,000 m2) Vaccaro Manor Park has a lighted, quarter-mile jogging trail, a pavilion, playground equipment, sidewalks, and soccer/open fields. The 3.14-acre (12,700 m2) Rubin Park has playground equipment and picnic benches. First Street Park has 3 acres (12,000 m2) of land and includes baseball/softball fields, a jogging trail, lighting, and picnic benches. The Margaret Havens Historical Memorial Garden is next to Stafford City Hall. Its rose garden, benches, and fountain have attracted many couples to marry there.[20] Stafford operates a Civic Center and a City Pool in the Municipal Complex. City residents pay $10 a year for pool access. The Stafford Centre Performing Arts Theatre and Convention Centre has a 1,100-seat performing arts theater; 25,000 square feet of meeting, banquet, and exposition space, including a 20,000-ft2 ballroom; and over 28 acres of outdoor festival green space.[21]
In 2014 the Sugar Land Youth Cricket Club, a children's cricket club, was established. In 2016 it played its home games at Everest Academy in Stafford.[23]
Government and infrastructure
Stafford City HallThe Stafford Municipal Complex is located in the southern part of the city off Staffordshire Road at Constitution Avenue.
Local government
The City of Stafford stopped levying nonschool property taxes in 1995. It is the only Houston-area city and the most populous city in Texas to do so. Sales and franchise taxes from businesses fund the city.[15]
From 1969 to 2020, Stafford's mayor was Leonard Scarcella. By 2018, he was the longest-serving mayor in the United States.[24][25] On June 28, 2020, Scarcella died at age 79.[26] In December 2020, Cecil Willis was elected mayor.[27]
The Stafford City Hall, Stafford Police Department, and Municipal Court buildings are on South Main, adjacent to one another.[28] The Stafford Volunteer Fire Department operates out of three fire stations.[29]
The city is governed by its Home Rule Charter, which resembles the US Constitution.[30] The Charter Review Commission reviews the charter every five years. The most recent review was in 2018. The commission consisted of:[31]
Stafford MSD (and therefore the city) is served by the Houston Community College System.[45] The HCCS Southwest College includes the Stafford Campus at 10041 Cash Road. In spring 2012, the enrollment at the Stafford Campus was 8,139.[46] Stafford is also home to North American University, a small private university with an enrollment of roughly 800 students.[47]
When most of Stafford was a part of FBISD, Staffordshire Elementary was in Stafford. Staffordshire housed Black students in grades 1–4. Black secondary school students attended the M.R. Wood School in Sugar Land. At the time FBISD formed in 1959, white students could attend one of two elementary schools, and they attended a middle school in Sugar Land and a high school site in Missouri City; the latter two sites now house Lakeview Elementary School and Missouri City Middle School. Dulles High School became the high school for white students in FBISD. In September 1965 Fort Bend ISD desegregated and Staffordshire School closed.[48] Staffordshire students were reassigned to E. A. Jones Elementary School in Missouri City. Dulles Junior High School served as FBISD's sole junior high school from March 1965 to August 1975.[49] Dulles High became the only zoned high school for students of all races in FBISD until Willowridge High School in Houston opened in 1979.[50]
Private schools
Everest Academy (Pre-K–5), a school of the Darul Arqam Schools, is in Stafford.[51] Sugar Creek Montessori School also has a campus in Stafford.[52]
Public libraries
Fort Bend County Libraries' Mamie George Branch is in Sugar Land, on Dulles Avenue next to Dulles Middle School.[53][54] The Mamie George Library, a 4,900 square feet (460 m2) library designed by Wylie W. Vale and Associates, opened in November 1974. It was named after Mamie George, a philanthropist from Fort Bend County. The George Foundation donated funds for the building, and the Fort Bend Independent School District donated the land the library was built on. The library was renovated in 1991. In 1996 the small-business-center materials were moved from the Missouri City Branch to the Mamie George Branch.[55]
Gallery
Stafford Municipal Court
Stafford Police Department, part of the J.C. "Buster" Public Safety Complex
Fire Station No. 1, part of the J.C. "Buster" Court Public Safety Complex
^"City of Houston Annexation FAQ". City of Houston. October 31, 1996. Archived from the original on October 31, 1996. Retrieved April 24, 2018. Numerous residents of the City of Houston have Missouri City, Webster, Friendswood, Stafford, Humble and even Kingwood addresses.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^"Contact UsArchived August 13, 2020, at the Wayback Machine." Fort Bend Star. Retrieved on April 7, 2014. "The offices of fortbendstar.com are located at 4655 Techniplex Dr, Suite 300, Stafford, TX 77477 (the same location as the physical newspaper)."
^"Home". BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Houston, TX, USA. Retrieved November 7, 2019. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir 1150 Brand Lane Stafford, TX 77477 USA - Despite the "Stafford, TX" city name, it is outside of the Stafford city limits
^"FBISD History". Fort Bend Independent School District. December 3, 2018. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
^Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.[11][12]
‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties ±Former CDP annexed by Missouri City ^Former CDP annexed by Sugar Land #Still active as a community, but is no longer listed as a census-designated place
